Recent content by Steven

@soaplady30 Ok. So the amount of GM powder you add is based on the amount of water being added? If the GM powder calls for 1 tablespoon of powder for 100g of water and your recipe calls for 200g of water, you add 2 tablespoons directly to the oil? (numbers are not accurate, just using them for...

@soaplady30 just to clarify, you add JUST the powdered GM to the oils (no water) and stick blend those. Do you determine the amount of powder to use based on the amount of water you mix with the NaOH? Do you ever use more or less?

Kiwi, sounds like you've figured it out. FWIW, I recently did the same but in the opposite direction. Recipe called for 52g of NaOH and I put in 54g which is a decent amount in a tiny batch. I backed into it adjusting the superfat like you said and I believe I had to tweak my concentration/ratio...

@LilianNoir your explanation is in line with the math I was doing. Thank you for the clear step by step outline! I see your second post and I think that helps. It still took me a minute, but I think I got it after a couple reads. @IrishLass thanks!

I've read this a few times and I'm having trouble getting my head around it. In the OPs example the batched lye solution is 8.82oz and the additional water is 6.15oz. What it sounds like you @The Efficacious Gentleman are saying is that half of 8.82oz is the amount of additional water to be...

So true! I definitely fell into that category with the soapcalc default of 38% for water as a percent of fats - it was super mushy. The bar turned out fine but it took a while. I thought it was a bad recipe, turns out 45 OO, 25 CO, and 25 PO, 5 Castor is actually a nice bar.

@DeeAnna Very helpful Context. I've wondered about those beg/exp rows! I just assumed it was a poor way of saying that higher lye concentration can be more complicated on various levels. ::shrug:: To your point, I consider myself a beginner and I just made soap the other day with a 35% lye...

@Marilyn Norgart @Obsidian - I'll have to give Aloe a try. The nice thing about that it probably has broader appeal. I'm guessing folks are using Pure Aloe Juice? @penelopejane @SoaperForLife - I feel like my experience speaks to what you've both (and the others) have said. There was a bit of...

@LadySarah370 Don't fret though, many folks said it was a nice gentle bar of soap they loved to use in the shower (just not for hair)! It sounds like you may be on to this already but I've also found that adjusting my lye concentration (from the default water as a % of oils on soapcalc) has...

After three innings, score is 3-0 in favor of trusty team Hype! Appreciate you all humoring me with a read and response. I suppose for those who are in the soap business customer appeal can be everything - aloe, beer, milks, etc. The interesting thing for me is that both soaps I mention above...

I agree with a few of the comments above 1) The spacing of Everyday and the logo seems a bit crowded. Not terribly important but with that additional white space on the left side of the logo it makes the "everyday" part feel like it's encroaching. 2) I think the "I love you" part is cute and...

Did my innocent soapy bubble just burst?!? (har har har) One of the reasons I got into soap making is because I tried a bar called "Milky Rich" and LOVED it. I noticed on the ingredients list it had goat's milk. Ever since then, I attributed that luxurious rich and soft lather to the fact that...

@cmzaha & @BattleGnome your comments about cure time have resonated with me. The first recipe I made was 40 OO, 20 CO, and 20 PO. Four weeks into the cure it wasn't great, but now it is pretty nice! I'm going to see if my 30/30/30/10 ends up being milder too. Interesting how much a bar can...

Battlegnome, Appreciate the feedback! 1) The recipe only has a small amount of coconut oil so it's not too cleansing (a 7 for cleansing on soapcalc). I've read that using a higher lye concentration for oil that is high in unsaturated fat (soft oils) is good, I just didn't plan on going as high...

So I finally got around to making my next batch! The good news - no soda ash and the color of the bar is uniform (not sure if I fully gelled or didn't gel at all haha)! The bad news - I used the wrong amount of sodium hydroxide. The original recipe called for 52g of NaOH. I used 54g. I was...